Rechroming

[steven d. ferguson]

Five years ago when I did a complete restoration on my coach, I had my
back
bumper straightened and rechromed. Looked great for about 4 years. Now
a few
tiny rust spots are appearing.
Phil,
The single largest supplier of '55 through '57 Chevrolet parts in
Orlando sends all of their replating work to a place called Lemon Grove
Plating here in San Diego. They also straighten & refinish stainless
steel trim. I've had quite a bit of work done there and although it's
expensive, they truly are among the best in the US. Last time I
inquired, I was told that they ship 3,000 lbs a month back & forth to
the organization in Orlando. When they're finished, the bumpers are
razor straight & the chrome so perfect that it almost looks like it has
a bluish appearance. You pay for perfection though.
Don't be fooled by those that advertise triple plating. Basic chrome
plating is a 3 tank process ie; copper, nickle then the chrome, which is
clear. It's all in the prep and the cleanliness of the tanks.
This probably didn't help much,
Steve F.

 

[blank]

You also pay for haz-mat disposal. If these guys are as good as they sound,
then they probably also do a first class job of handling all the hazardous
waste associated with this process and that ain't cheap either(especially in
the Peoples Republic of California).

Any idea what they'd charge to do a set of GMC bumpers?

Patrick

>
> The single largest supplier of '55 through '57 Chevrolet
> parts in Orlando sends all of their replating work to a
> place called Lemon Grove Plating here in San Diego.

> When they're finished, the bumpers are razor straight & the
> chrome so perfect that it almost looks like it has a bluish
> appearance. You pay for perfection though.

 

[steven d. ferguson]

Any idea what they'd charge to do a set of GMC bumpers?
Patrick,
No I don't. You are right about the hasmat problem. There used to be
16 chrome plating companies in San Diego and now there are 3. (Thanks to
the folks that brought us reformulated gasoline.) There are also a
couple that are store front operations that recieve the work, then run
it across the border. Good for small stuff, but very poor quality work
on the large items. The tanks are filthy & they buff ripples & divots
in large items.
The EPA has made it nearly impossible for these guys to stay in
business in San Diego. Every year Lemon Grove has to shut down and
modify some part of their operation and that means 1. No income, 2. huge
cash outflow, 3. Employees who can't return to work for 30 days
(usually). All those costs have to be passed on to the consumer.
Anyhow, back on topic; with Lemon Grove plating you get what you pay
for, the best, and it ain't cheap. A 1 piece '55 chevy bumper is around
$300 and the bumperettes $120 a pair. I have a friend that does about
$4,000 a month with them and I send my stuff in with him & get somewhat
of a break on prices.
There are some places in L.A. that do fair work for a lot less. They
keep their labor prices down by hiring folks of questionable skill who
are willing to work for questionable wages. I tried them for a while
but it wasn't worth the hassle of sending stuff back and forth in an
effort to get it done right.
When I get around to making my coach easier to look at, I plan on
adding the bumper "caps" and painting them the coach color. A cost
effective alternative in my view.
Steve F.

 

[blank]

Hmm, figure a GMC bumper has a little more surface area than the 55 Chevy,
but is flatter so maybe a wash? That'd be four times $300 or around $1200 a
set of four.

Just a SWAG mind you. Maybe powder coating is the way to go.
Patrick

>

> > Any idea what they'd charge to do a set of GMC bumpers?
>
> No I don't.

> A 1 piece '55 chevy bumper is around $300 and the
> bumperettes $120 a pair.

 

[david l greenberg]

On Tue, 7 Mar 2000 07:30:20 -0600
writes:
> Hmm, figure a GMC bumper has a little more surface area than the 55
> Chevy,
> but is flatter so maybe a wash? That'd be four times $300 or around
> $1200 a
> set of four.
>
> Just a SWAG mind you. Maybe powder coating is the way to go.
> Patrick
>
>
I think I would go with fibreglas bumper covers at a fraction of the cost
and quite attractive, IMHO!

David Lee Greenberg
The GMC Motorhome Registry
Dedicated To The Classic GMC Motorhome
www.gmcss.com/registry.htm

 

[steve clevenger]

In the Sixties (remember them?) the price of rechroming a bumper was
figured at half the list price of a new OEM bumper. The reasoning was that
if they screwed up the bumper, they had to replace it. We once took a Rolls
Royce bumper, removed the emblem, & told them we didn't have a clue what it
came off, but we were going to put it on a street rod. Worked.

Steve Clevenger
76 Transmode 230
Tulsa, OK.